Scenes from Camelot: Confrontation
by Eldrin
Summary: Spoilers through S3. Uther has retaken the throne after recovering from his madness caused by Morgana's betrayal. Arthur sees his hard work as Regent being torn down before his very eyes and his people are suffering. It's time for him to take a stand


**Title: Scenes from Camelot: Confrontation**

**Author: Eldrin**

**Rating: K+**

**Warnings: Spoilers through Season 3.  
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**Author's Notes: First try at a Merlin fan-fic. Stories are weird for me. I can never write from the beginning to the end, I have to write scenes as they pop into my head. This was one of those scenes. It didn't fit into anything that I'm currently working on, so here it is as a nice one-shot. Many thanks to Ultra-Geek for the awesome beta, don't be surprised if I ask for more later on. :-) As usual, I don't own these guys, BBC does. If I owned them, Arthur would have found out about Merlin's magic in Season 2... but I digress. Anyway, enjoy!**

In the years following the fall of Morgana Le Fey, Camelot descended into a time of uneasy peace. Uther, driven mad from betrayal and grief, was unfit to rule. In his stead, Arthur acted as Regent. Under his rule, the persecution of magic lessened. The simple offense of having magic was ignored, as were those who used their magic for mundane matters. Only those who broke other laws with their magic were persecuted.

Time passed, and eventually Uther was deemed fit to rule again. He re-assumed the throne with little ceremony. Arthur watched closely, however, for any signs of the madness to return. It wasn't long before the old ways reared their ugly head. Magic persecution under Uther's new rule was worse than ever. On the spot executions for the mere suggestion someone had magic were not unheard of.

As the precarious peace that Arthur had woven as Regent began to fall apart, he found he could no longer stand idly by. The people of Camelot were suffering like never before. His people. With the help of the Warlock Merlin and his most trusted knights, he hatched a plan. It would take skillful maneuvering and would culminate in a confrontation between King and Prince. In order to keep everyone safe in case he failed, all of his knights would be in full armor bearing no identifying marks. Merlin would pose as a new ally, the Dragonlord, and protect his identity by magic.

Finally, the day came where Arthur would make his move.

* * *

><p>The afternoon sun streamed through the windows of the throne room. The Knights of Camelot stood at attention along the walls, their armor shining like silver. Uther sat upon his throne, impatience radiating off of him like waves of heat from fire. The members of the Royal Council stood back, fearing Uther's wrath, which was surely to be released when Arthur entered the room.<p>

Arthur had called this meeting using a royal authority he rarely exerted. Ordering the King's presence was beyond arrogance, and Uther having recently retaken the throne was not about to allow his position to be undermined.

The sound of the doors opening reverberated throughout the throne room. Arthur strode in, dressed in the full regalia of the crown prince and commander of the knights. Each knight snapped to attention as he walked past. As Arthur reached the stairs leading to the throne he stopped and cut and dropped to one knee and bowing in reverence before his father.

"Arthur, so good of you to join us. Perhaps now you can enlighten us as to why you called this meeting?" said Uther, as he drummed his fingers on his throne.

"I do father," said Arthur as he stood, "I have come to discuss the matter of great importance to the kingdom. As you well know, Camelot is constantly under magical attack. The recent near-triumph of Morgana and Morgause showed us something we already knew. Magic is a deadly weapon and, if left unchecked, will cause the fall Camelot."

"Yes, yes, we know all of this. Get to the point, Arthur," hissed Uther.

"My point, Father, is that as with many situations before, we would not have retaken Camelot without the very thing that took it from us; Magic."

"Arthur, if you've come here to spew treason..." growled the King.

Arthur held up his hand to cut Uther off. "I will explain," he continued, "years ago a sword was made. It was bathed in dragon fire and infused with the essence of a powerful wizard. You have wielded that sword, Father, it was the one you used to defeat the black knight."

"That's preposterous. I remember that blade, and thought it was one of the most exquisite I've seen, it wasn't magic," replied Uther. His voice was firm, but the sudden paleness of his skin betrayed his doubt.

"As you've said before, the magical often masquerades as the mundane, but that's not my point. The sword was forged for someone else," continued Arthur. "Fearing the havoc that would be caused by the sword in the wrong hands, its creators entrusted it to a guardian. That guardian, in the time of our greatest need, gave it to me."

"Wielding that sword," said Arthur as he began to pace, "I and some brave knights were able to defeat Morgana and her immortal army. It seems that only magic could destroy what magic created. I was also helped, unbeknownst to me at the time, by the last Dragonlord; a powerful sorcerer in his own right."

"The last Dragonlord was killed," Uther spat. "You said so yourself when we were besieged by that vile creature."

"Not necessarily, Sire," Gaius spoke up, stepping forward from where he had been standing among the other counselors. "If Balinor had a child, then upon his death, his... abilities could have been passed along."

"They were."

A new voice filled the room. A voice of power and magic that reverberated throughout the room. All present felt a familiarity to the voice, but none could place it. A man strode into the throne room. He wore leather trousers and boots. Around his waist he wore two daggers, one with a silver hilt and one of gold. His tunic was a royal blue and embedded throughout were silver threads which caused the cloth to sparkle as if it were made from the night sky itself. On his right arm he wore a leather bracer which bore the Pendragon crest, etched in gold. His head was shrouded by a hood, his features completely hidden.

The man walked forward and stood beside Arthur. "I am the Dragonlord now. Son of Balinor and sworn protector of Arthur Pendragon. I am also the sorcerer who helped create Excalibur."

Uther shot out of his throne. His body was tense and his face was twisted into a mask of anger. "Knights, seize him!" he roared. Not one of the knights moved.

"Your knights won't harm me, Your Highness," the man stated. "I've made sure of that."

"Show me your face, you foul creature," Uther spat, his hand going to the sword at his waist, "so that I may see you when I drive my sword through your chest."

"I will reveal myself when ordered by my master and king, Your Highness. You are neither."

"How _dare you!_" the king bellowed, drowning out the gasps of shock from the Counselors and servants in the room. The knights remained deadly silent and nearly motionless.

"_Enough_!" Arthur's voice echoed through the hall as he stepped between the man and his father. "Dragonlord, stand down."

"As you wish, Sire." the Dragonlord replied, bowing slightly and stepping back.

"I invited the Dragonlord here today, Father, because Camelot is at the beginning of a new era. The persecution of magic ends today. It is a tool, no more good or evil than the person wielding it. We will no longer be at the mercy of our enemies because we deny ourselves the aegis by which we could be protected."

Uther sat back on his throne, a dark smile spreading across his face. "And just how do you plan to make this happen, Arthur? I will not issue such a ridiculous proclamation, and you have no authority to do so."

"Fortunately, Father," stated Arthur as he stepped toward the throne, "You're wrong. Morgana took the crown through blood and Right of Conquest. Having defeated her, by the ancient laws, I should be king."

"That's outrageous. The crown only passes upon my death. Morgana was a fraud, and I don't believe you intend to kill me."

"You're right, I don't. But by the laws of Camelot and the ancient laws, Morgana was Queen. Her coronation saw to that. You have never been officially reinstated by coronation. You just re-assumed the throne. Out of love for the people of Camelot, who now need stability and familiarity, I did not object. But by law, I. Am. King."

"Just how do you plan on _keeping_ that title then, Arthur?" Uther sneered. "I see no army, no power behind you other than your pet over there."

Arthur, who was now standing beside the throne, leaned in close to the soon to be former King. "I'll let you in on a little secret," he whispered. "No one in this room is enchanted. Did you notice the show of respect the Knights made when I entered the room? Each one, in doing so, reaffirmed an oath of fealty they took not long ago. To me. The army behind me is the army of Camelot."

What color rage had brought to his face once again drained out. Uther's posture slumped ever so slightly. He knew this battle was lost.

"I'll never forgive you for this," he whispered, almost to no one at all.

"I don't expect you to," whispered Arthur, "just as I'll never forgive you for the hypocrisy on which you've based my life. A man of honor would not have let his grief lead to the murder of thousands of innocents. You, in your own arrogance, caused Mother's death, Father. Magic was merely _your_ tool." At that Arthur stood and walked back to his position in front of the throne. "What do you say, Father? I don't wish to take the throne, not yet. Will you rule as my Seneschal? King in name only, and obey my wishes when I see fit to guide your decisions?"

Uther seethed, but it was clear to all who knew him that he was broken. "I will act as your Seneschal, Arthur. If only so that I am here to see the day your sorcerer no longer finds you useful, and slits your traitorous throat."

Arthur ignored that final comment and began to address those in the room. "You have all witnessed the agreement today, between King and Seneschal. Only those in this room shall know of this arrangement. To the people of Camelot, Uther Pendragon is still their ruler, and will be until his abdication or death. These events are to be recorded in the Royal Annals, and then never spoken of again. Any who spread word of these proceedings to those not involved forfeit their life. You will give me your oath."

One by one, every person in the room agreed. After the last person swore, the Dragonlord sealed the oath with magic. If any broke their oath, he and Arthur would know of it immediately.

"It's done. The proclamation regarding the new laws of magic will be made in two days. I'll provide you with details soon. This meeting is dismissed." Arthur turned and strode for the door, the Dragonlord following a few steps behind. As he walked past, each knight stepped into formation behind them. As they left the throne room, the knights parted ways with the now shadow King, many offering their congratulations as they passed. Arthur, exhausted after the stress of the event, headed to his rooms. The mysterious Dragonlord had disappeared, and very few wondered where he went.

As Arthur entered his rooms, he leaned against the door and breathed a sigh of relief. "We did it."

* * *

><p>Two days later, Merlin was running through the halls of the castle. He had gotten distracted, and was now about to be late for the proclamation. He'd never hear the end of it from Arthur if he was late.<p>

He arrived just as Uther was beginning his speech, and quietly took his place in the background. Arthur glared at him, but said nothing. The proclamation was simple. Uther repealed the laws forbidding magic in the kingdom, and replaced them with a simple set of rules. All laws of the land, if broken using magic, were to be dealt with much harsher than normal infractions. Anyone with magic was pardoned under the old law, and those against whom charges were currently levied would be dealt with according to the new order. Gaius was released from his oath to never again practice magic, and was appointed as Court Sorcerer.

Merlin felt as though the weight of the world had been taken off of him. He no longer had to hide. Arthur, of course, had known about his magic for years, as had Gwaine, Lancelot, and Gwen. The fear of being caught had still effected him though. He felt wild energy throughout his body, and nervously fingered the bracer on his right arm so as to not fidget any more than necessary. The bracer was embossed with a golden dragon, the Pendragon crest. It was the only thing anyone observant enough could use to mark him as the Dragonlord. Arthur had argued that he should no longer wear it, but Merlin had refused. It was his oath, his display to the world that he served the one, true king of Camelot.


End file.
